China–Myanmar relations

China–Myanmar relations (Chinese: 中缅关系; Burmese: တရုတ်မြန်မာဆက်ဆံရေး) refers to the international relations between the People's Republic of China and Myanmar. China and Myanmar have active bilateral relations with each other. However, recently, the relations between China and Myanmar have faced some problems due to recent ongoing conflicts with ethnic Chinese rebels and Myanmar military near the border, as well as Burmese recent hostilities against Chinese.

Sino-Burmese relations

China

Myanmar

The relationship between China and Myanmar, while much closer and warmer than relations with China's other Southeast Asian neighbor, Vietnam; also faces difficulties due to the effects of alleged Chinese-sponsored debt-traps[1][2][3] and Chinese-backed militants in northern Myanmar territories.[4][5][6]

History

Both two countries and peoples, as well as both countries' official languages, share a close relationship and the same linguistic link, in which both the Burmese and Chinese are both parts of Sino-Tibetan language family and peoples. Their relationship can be comparable to the French and Germans, in which both tribes, countries, and official languages share a close link.

The Yuan dynasty saw the First Mongol invasion of Burma and Second Mongol invasion of Burma. The Qing dynasty fought the Sino-Burmese War. Large numbers of Panthays from China settled in Myanmar. British-ruled Burma agreed to keep on paying tribute to Qing China after the British conquest of all of Burma.[7][8]

The Burma Road was built to China during World War II.

Background

Founding of the China-Burma Friendship Association in 1952

Burma was the first non-Communist country to recognize the Communist-led People's Republic of China after its foundation in 1949.[9] Burma and the People's Republic of China formally established diplomatic relations on June 8, 1950. China and Burma signed a treaty of friendship and mutual non-aggression and promulgated a Joint Declaration on June 29, 1954, officially basing their relations on the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence.[9][10] However, Burma maintained a neutralist foreign policy in the 1950s and 1960s. Anti-Chinese riots in 1967 and the expulsion of Chinese communities from Burma generated hostility in both countries.[10] Relations began to improve significantly in the 1970s. Under the rule of Deng Xiaoping, China reduced support for the Communist Party of Burma ("CPB") and on August 5, 1988 China signed a major trade agreement, legalizing cross-border trading and began supplying considerably military aid. Following the violent repression of pro-democracy protests in 1988, the newly formed State Peace and Development Council, facing growing international condemnation and pressure, sought to cultivate a strong relationship with China to bolster itself; in turn, China's influence grew rapidly after the international community abandoned Burma.[10][11]

Commercial relations

Chinese President Liu Shaoqi with Ne Win in 1966.

Bilateral trade between China and Myanmar exceeds $1.4 billion.[12] Chinese exports to Myanmar typically focus around oil, steel and textile products, while Myanmar exports to China range from natural rubber to raw wood.[12] China is providing extensive aid and helping to develop industries and infrastructure in Myanmar and aims to be the chief beneficiary from cultivating Myanmar's extensive oil and natural gas reserves.[13] It is one of the chief partners of the Burmese regime in the project to renovate and expand the Sittwe seaport and has received rights to develop and exploit natural gas reserves in the Arakan region.[10] China has offered loans and credit to the military regime, as well as economic aid and investments for the construction of dams, bridges, roads and ports as well as for industrial projects.[9][10] China extensively aided the construction of strategic roads along the Irrawaddy River trade route linking Yunnan province to the Bay of Bengal. Chinese firms have been involved in the construction of oil and gas pipelines stretching 2,380 km (1,480 mi) from Myanmar's Rakhine State to China's Yunnan Province.[13] China National Offshore Oil Corporation and the China National Petroleum Corporation hold important contracts on upgrading Burmese oilfields and refineries and sharing of production.[10] PetroChina is in process of building a major gas pipeline from the A-1 Shwe oil field off the coast of the Rakhine State leading to Yunnan, accessing and exploiting an estimated 2.88 to 3.56 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.[10][14] A proposed Sino-Burmese oil pipeline off the western coast of Myanmar may permit China to import oil from the Middle East, bypassing the Strait of Malacca.[10][13] There have been protest against Chinese oil projects.[15]

China Power Investment Corporation's investment in the $3.6 billion Myitsone hydropower station on the Irrawaddy River has hit a snagged in early October 2011 as Burmese government suspended construction due to local residents' concern about the human, environmental impact and perceived benefits.[16][17] Most of the power generated will be exported to Yunnan province in China and local residents claimed the lack of community feedback in the planning process.[17] China's government is stating Myanmar will get US$54 billion in tax revenue, shared profits, free electricity.[17] At stake is China's huge financial stake in the project and also risk to other big projects China has in the country.[17] China Power Investment Corporation stated only five villages with a total of 2,146 needed to relocated. The firm has provided affected villagers with two storey houses, 21 inch televisions and a 100,000 Burmese kyat.[17]

Human rights violations and other issues

There have been multiple reports and complaints from locals related to human rights violations, accusations of land grab and environmental damage due to land acquisition and industrial activities by Chinese companies.[18][19]

In 2010, nearly 8000 acres of land was confiscated from residents to expand a Chinese-backed copper mining project.[20]

In November 2012, peaceful villagers protesting against the Letpadaung Copper Mine were attacked by police and Chinese workers. In the attacks, police used white phosphorus military munitions, resulting in burns and injuries to dozens of protesters including monks. The protests were due to coercion and intimidation of villagers to sign contracts the contents of which they were not allowed to read and misrepresentation of essential terms of the contract by falsely promising villagers that the land would be returned to them in three years, undamaged and in the same condition.[21][22]

In 2015, Amnesty International discovered that a waste leak from the Letpadaung Copper Mine had run into nearby fields, severely contaminating it. A farmer interviewed by Amnesty International describing the effects said "Every crop perished. Everything died. Every place where the water got the crops perished. They perished steadily, taking around ten days. First the crops wilted and then died." Soil samples taken by Amnesty International were found to be contaminated with various metals, in particular Arsenic, Copper and lead.[21]

In February 2018, about 800 villagers in Kachin State protested to the Chief Minister's office against environmental damage caused by Chinese companies planting tissue culture bananas.[23] In February 2019, two reporters were physically assaulted and forcibly detained by employees of a Chinese joint venture company "Tha Khin Sit Mining Company", for a previously published article about locals in Kachin objecting to tissue-culture banana plantations.[24]

A report by human rights group Burma Campaign UK in December 2018 stated that Chinese companies make up the bulk of corporations named for involvement in human rights and environmental violations in Myanmar.[25]

In June 2020, Myanmar was one of 53 countries that backed the Hong Kong national security law at the United Nations.[26]

Human trafficking

There have been reports of over 7000 Burmese women and girls being sold for Sexual slavery in China, where they are sold as "brides".[27] Women were also reported to have been sold multiple times for the purpose of forced childbirth.[28]

Strategic relations

Countries which signed cooperation documents related to the Belt and Road Initiative

China is the most important supplier of military aid and maintains extensive strategic and military cooperation.[9] Since 1989, China has supplied Myanmar with jet fighters, armored vehicles and naval vessels and has trained Burmese army, air force and naval personnel.[9][10] Access to Myanmar's ports and naval installations provide China with strategic influence in the Bay of Bengal, in the wider Indian Ocean region and in Southeast Asia.[9][10][14] China has developed a deep-water port on Kyaukpyu in the Bay of Bengal.[29][14] It has also built an 85-metre jetty, naval facilities and major reconnaissance and electronic intelligence systems on the Great Coco Island,[10][30] located 18 kilometres from India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands, giving China capabilities to monitor India's military activities, including missile tests.[10] However the building of intelligence systems on the island is widely regarded as a myth today and the Indian forces recently denied their existence [31] China assists in constructing a naval base in Sittwe, a strategically important sea port close to eastern India's largest city and port, Kolkata.[30] Beijing also funds road construction linking Yangon and Sittwe, providing the shortest route to the Indian Ocean from southern China.

China and Russia once vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution designed to punish Myanmar.[13][32] In recent years, China has shown a lack of willingness to back the Burmese government and has attempted to stabilize the political situation in Myanmar.[13]

In recent years, Myanmar has moved to develop strategic and commercial relations with India, with which it shares a long land border and the Bay of Bengal. Increasing trade and military cooperation with India and developing bilateral relations with Japan and within the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) shows a shift in Myanmar's foreign policy to avoid excessive dependence on China.[9] However, by 2018 India's involvement in Myanmar was still limited compared to China's political and economic influence in the country.[33]

After the Kokang incident in August 2009 which gained international media interest,[34] some experts questioned its impact on ChinaMyanmar relations, which were considered to be strong.[35] Bertil Lintner stated that Myanmar was prioritizing internal conflicts over its ties with China,[36] however some Chinese analysts, such as Shi Yinhong, played down the relationship between Myanmar and China, saying "They're not great friends. They don't listen to what China says."[36] China had urged Myanmar to ensure the stability of the border area and protect the interests of its citizens in Myanmar.[37][38] The Burmese Foreign Ministry later apologised to China about the incident, but also ran a story on the Dalai Lama in the government newspaper the Myanmar Times, the first mention of him in the state controlled Burmese media for 20 years.[39] Chinese officials were said to be "furious" and "extremely upset" over not being forewarned about the offensive on the border.

In June 2015, Kokang rebels announced a unilateral ceasefire citing "the Chinese government's strong calls for restoring peace in the China-Myanmar border region" among other interests. The announcement coincided with Aung San Suu Kyi's meeting with Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China in Beijing.[40] Following international condemnation of the Rohingya genocide, observers have noted that Myanmar has tightened its relations with China.[41]

In May 2018, China condemned Myanmar's government after violence in northern Myanmar erupted. The violence was started by a China-backed militia, rebelling against Myanmar. The militia, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, sought to get more autonomy from the Burmese central government.[5] In October 2018, militias backed by China against Myanmar expelled numerous clergies in northern Myanmar, sparking outrage throughout Myanmar.[4] The Chinese-backed militia also threatened northern Myanmar residents from expressing their religious beliefs, even inside their homes.[4]

In August 2018, various international organizations found a staggering rise in Chinese projects in Myanmar, which may cause ‘debt traps’ against Myanmar, the same way it was perceived as causing a debt-trap against Sri Lanka.[1] Despite these reports, Myanmar's government continued with the Chinese loans and programs in November 2018, causing wide public concern.[2] In February 2019, Myanmar pursued more Chinese-sponsored loans and programs.[3]

In July 2019, UN ambassadors from 50 countries, including Myanmar, have signed a joint letter to the UNHRC defending China's treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang region.[42][43]

See also

References

  1. "Analysis: 'Debt Trap' Alert Rises in Myanmar as More Belt and Road Projects Scrapped". 2018-09-18.
  2. "Myanmar agrees smaller deal for China-backed port after 'debt-trap' concern". Reuters. 2018-11-08.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2019-02-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2019-02-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "China condemns Myanmar border violence". Reuters. 2018-05-13.
  6. "Report: Northern Myanmar rebel clashes turn deadly | China News | al Jazeera".
  7. Alfred Stead (1901). China and Her Mysteries. Hood, Douglas, & Howard. pp. 99–. burma was a tributary state of china british forward tribute peking.
  8. William Woodville Rockhill (1905). China's Intercourse with Korea from the XVth Century to 1895. Luzac & Company. pp. 5–. tribute china.
  9. Yangon still under Beijing's thumb (February 11, 2005). AsiaTimes.com. Accessed 2008-05-30.
  10. Sino-Myanmar Relations: Analysis and Prospects by Lixin Geng, The Culture Mandala, Vol. 7, no. 2, December 2006. Accessed 2008-05-30.
  11. Shambaugh, David (2000). Power Shift: China and Asia's New Dynamics. Nazrul Institute. p. 218. ISBN 0-520-24570-9.
  12. China-Myanmar trade increased in 2007 (December 9, 2007). UPI. Accessed 2008-05-30.
  13. Chinese dilemma over Burma (25 September 2007). BBC. Accessed 2008-05-30.
  14. India and China compete for Burma's resources (21 August 2006). World Politics Review. Accessed 2008-05-30.
  15. Perlez, Jane; Feng, Bree (May 18, 2013). "Under Pressure, China Measures Its Impact in Myanmar". The New York Times.
  16. Guo Aibing (Oct 4, 2011). "China Power Investment Says Myanmar Dam Halt Is 'Bewildering'". BLOOMBERG L.P.
  17. Jonathan Watts (4 October 2011). "China angry over Myanmar's decision to suspend work on £2.3bn dam Beijing threatens legal action as Myanmar halts dam because it is 'against the will of the people'". London: guardian.co.uk.
  18. "Myanmar: Chinese firms allegedly associated with criminal networks partner with local armed groups in developing special economic zones, analysts say". MYANMAR : LAND GRABBING AS BIG BUSINESS.
  19. "Opium, rubber, and a land grab on Myanmar's border with China". East West Centre.
  20. "Myanmar's land-grab problem". Bangkok Post. 26 August 2013.
  21. "Interview: Myanmar: Suspend copper mine linked to ongoing human rights abuses". Amnesty International.
  22. "Report of Evidence Regarding Controversies at Letpadaung Hill Copper Mine Project" (PDF). Charltons Law.
  23. "Myanmar: Banana Plantation owned by Chinese companies raises local concerns over land and environmental problems". Business & Human Rights Resource Centre.
  24. "Chinese joint venture assaults two journalists in Kachin: local media". Myanmar Times. 26 February 2019.
  25. "Chinese companies top human rights 'dirty list' of firms complicit in Myanmar violations". South China Morning Post. 13 December 2018.
  26. Lawler, Dave (2 July 2020). "The 53 countries supporting China's crackdown on Hong Kong". Axios. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  27. "Interview: Why 'Brides' From Myanmar Are Trafficked to China". Human Rights Watch.
  28. "Thousands of Myanmar women forced into marriages in China". DW. 7 December 2018.
  29. Lintner, Bertil (2019-04-15). The Costliest Pearl: China's Struggle for India's Ocean. Oxford University Press. pp. 35–61. ISBN 978-1-78738-239-8.
  30. Myanmar shows India the road to Southeast Asia (February 21, 2001). AsiaTimes. Accessed 2008-05-30.
  31. "Chinese Whispers: The Great Coco Island Mystery". www2.irrawaddy.org. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  32. Russia, China veto resolution criticizing Burma (January 13, 2007). Washington Post. Accessed 2008-05-30.
  33. Stokke, Kristian; Vakulchuk, Roman and Indra Overland (2018) Myanmar: A Political Economy Analysis. Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI). Report commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  34. "Who is Chinese? The Upper Han". The Economist. 2016-11-19. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
  35. Guan, Ng Han (August 31, 2009). Myanmar refugees begin to return home from China. Associated Press.
  36. Petty, Martin; Blanchard, Ben (September 1, 2009). Myanmar ethnic offensive tests vital China ties. Reuters.
  37. China urges Myanmar to safeguard border stability. Xinhua. August 28, 2009.
  38. China, Myanmar share responsibility to maintain border stability: FM. Xinhua. September 1, 2009.
  39. Jagan, Larry (September 1, 2009). Border war rattles China-Myanmar ties. Asia Times Online.
  40. Mcluaghlin & Zaw (June 11, 2015). Under pressure from China, Kokang rebels declare Myanmar ceasefire. Reuters.
  41. Jennings, Ralph (December 25, 2019). "Myanmar, Though Suspicious of China, Edges Closer to Beijing for Safety". Voice of America. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  42. "Which Countries Are For or Against China's Xinjiang Policies?". The Diplomat. 15 July 2019.
  43. "The Pro-Xinjiang Contingent". Wired. 28 July 2019.

Bibliography

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